Share this story

Opinion: The Princess Royal has a point

Andrew George MP has expressed his delight after his Affordable Homes Bill was today passed in the House of Commons at the second reading stage.

Lib Dem George focused his bill towards introducing significant exemptions to the government’s bedroom tax and promoting the intermediate housing market to make homeownership affordable to more people.

George, who has consistently spoken out against and voted against the bedroom tax, said: “This is great news for those families who have been thrust into difficulties, uncertainty and debt by the government’s spare room subsidy/bedroom Tax. It’s also good news for parliament, democracy and for the many people who have campaigned for social justice.

“This was the first opportunity to debate this bill, but the process towards legislation will present more opportunities at each stage to, if necessary and possible, develop and strengthen components of the bill. After now succeeding at the second reading, I hope I can develop and improve the bill further with amendments at committee stage, on the housing benefit provisions and to promote the intermediate housing market to make home ownership affordable to more people.

“The main reason for this bill is to create a better set of housing circumstances for many people within my constituency and across the country. The poor have as much entitlement to a stable family home as the better off.

"There are better ways of solving our housing crisis than creating misery for the most vulnerable. I look forward to working with my parliamentary colleagues to produce a bill that will address this and therefore have a profoundly positive impact on the lives of many people right across the country.”